Response-Ability

Lately I've been thinking about the word, "Responsibility" and it occurred to me that it is actually two words! If I simply focus on my part in life...where I am called to fulfill my daily duties; to be responsible, it can often feel overwhelming...and kind of a drudgery.  I have heard one highly productive, disciplined woman say, "Do it until you like it."   This may not always happen though as there are duties in each of our lives that we may never 'like.'    Another advice she gave to get our jobs done was just, "Do the next thing." -- kind of like bringing it all down to 'bite sized' pieces...which was more helpful to me.
There is a verse in the Bible which says, "I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me." This I see, to be a marvellous key.   As we receive HIS divine and perfect life into us we experience the miraculous process which the Bible calls being 'born again.'   We are born of His Spirit in the deepest part of our being; and in that instant, we become a 'new creation!'  
There's a lovely song which says, "I'm a new creation, I'm a brand new man.
                                                        Old things are passed away, I am born again!
                                                        More than a conqueror, that's what I am.
                                                        I'm a new creation-I'm a brand new man!
These are definitely true Bible words...and yet there is also a very real battle within each of us, even after we know we have prayed to receive HIM.   In considering this I have discovered two extremes.  One side focuses very much on the truth that God will do this work.   He is "the Author and Finisher of our faith."  "It is God Who operates in us both to will and to do His good pleasure."    Surely we can just relax and HE will do it all!
The flip side of this focus recalls verses such as--"He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." and "Work out your salvation with fear and trembling..." ---"We make it our aim to be well pleasing to Him."
So,,,which is it?  "He will do?" or "Work out your salvation?"    I would like to say it is both!
And that's where the two words 'response-ability' comes in.
We are responsible beings and we are accountable to obey our Lord in the tiny, seemingly unimportant duties of our daily life BUT at the same time, it is HE Who constantly empowers us from within.   Learning how to recognize and to co-operate with this is so very important!  He grants the ability...and we respond.  And as we do this HE does always cause us to "triumph in Christ" in the seemingly insignificant, small things of our life.
 As His follower; to accept continual defeat in our daily life and call it 'normal' is actually to embrace a lie!... and therefore to continue to 'live a lie.'   Is this what much of North American Christianity has come to accept?  If and when that is the case I would like to suggest therein  is extremely serious identity confusion!
Hebrews 12 1,2 also gives us another help. "Run with endurance the race set before you...fixing your eyes on/looking  unto Jesus..."  and then both the ability and the response will come from Him!